Computing devices routinely include one or more Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slots. PCI slots are interfaces used by the computer to communicate with peripheral devices, such as Ethernet cards or sound cards, which are inserted or plugged into the PCI slots. The PCI slots typically provide power to the peripheral devices and facilitate communication between the peripheral devices and other components of the computing device.
In order to obtain and install new peripheral devices in the computer, the user often needs to know whether the computing device has any “open” or available PCI slots. For example, a customer who wants to receive Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service typically needs to obtain a DSL modem, but different DSL modems may communicate with different types of interfaces. The customer needs to determine whether the customer's computer has an available PCI slot. If a PCI slot is available, the customer can order and install a PCI-based DSL modem. Otherwise, the customer needs to order a different type of modem.
Computer users typically have difficulty in identifying whether their computing devices have available PCI slots. For example, identifying available PCI slots typically requires a physical inspection of the computer. Before identifying whether any PCI slots are available, the user often must physically remove at least a portion of the computer casing and locate the PCI slots. It is often a time-consuming process to remove the computer casing, identify the PCI slots, determine if a PCI slot is available, and replace the computer casing. Also, the computer user typically does not possess the technical knowledge needed to identify the available PCI slots. The user may be unaware of what PCI slots look like, or the user may be unable to distinguish PCI slots from other types of interfaces.
One approach to identifying available PCI slots in a computer is to provide identification software to the user. The software helps the user identify the presence or absence of PCI slots by, for example, illustrating the physical steps that the user must take to locate and identify the PCI slots. A problem with this approach is that the user still needs to manually examine the computer, which is a time-consuming process. Also, even with the use of identification software, the user may still incorrectly identify a PCI slot, or the user may still be unable to identify whether a PCI slot is available.